Combined washer and drier



July 22, 1958 P. E.'GELDHOF ET AL 2,843,943

COMBINED WASHER AND DRIER Filed Nov. 2, 1953 E'qnl hVEZ-YZUFE P5752[01/4120 Chm/0F CZ/Fra/v 12 C085 Unite COMBINED wAsnEn AND DRlERApplication November 2, W53, Serial No. 389,643

Claims. (Cl. 34-75) The present invention relates to a new and improvedcombined clothes washer and drier, and more particularly to a new andimproved air circulating system for a com: bined clothes washer anddrier.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved air circulating system for a combined clothes washer and drier,and particularly for the drier, and method of cleaning lint catchingportions of the air circulating system. By the present invention many ofthe difficulties and problems accompanying use of heretofore known typesof systems and mechanisms are obviated. Among the problems whichconfronted users of heretofore known types of clothes driers andcombined clothes washers and driers employing the hot air dryingtechniques, resided in the requirement for venting the exhaust air fromthe drier into the atmosphere outside of the room housing the drier orventing the exhaust air into the room through a lint catching filter orthe like. The first of these venting techniques is frequently notavailable to domestic users of hot air clothes driers and the latter ofthese techniques causes an undue increase in the temperature andhumidity content of the air in the room. Therefore, botlrof thesetechniques are undesirable even though one or the other of them wasnecessary with heretofore air drying systems.

Discomfort created by exhausting the drier into the air in the room andthe necessity for exhausting the air into the outside atmosphere obtainsfrom the large quantity of lint and moisture picked up as hot air iscirculated through the drier.

By the principles of the present invention these diificulties areavoided and a substantially closed air circulating system is providedfor the drierin a manner to efiiciently remove the lint from the air andto etficiently dehumidify the same.

.It is therefore an important object of the present invention to providea closed air circulating system for a hot air clothes drier or the likewherein the air is substantially washed and dehumidified followingexhaust thereof from the drier and preceding reheating of the air andrecirculation thereof to the drier.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved condenser for a hot air clothes drier or the like.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved air washing and dehumidifying means Where closed aircirculating system in combination with a hot air clothes drier or thelike and a method of periodically removing the lint and the like fromthe air washing and dehumidifying means.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved air circulating system for hot air drier or the like andwherein there is provided a new and improved and more efficient airheating chamber supplied with air from a new and improved condenserunit.

Still other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill become readily apparent from the following detailed description,from the claims, and from the tates atent O 2,843,943 Patented July 22,1958 accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention and fully and completely disclosing each and everydetail shown thereon, in which like reference numerals refer to likeparts, and in which:

Figure l is a back elevational View of a combined washer and driermechanism incorporating the principles of the present invention andhaving the rear cover removed therefrom to better illustrate certainfeatures of the present invention and having portions thereof brokenaway to still further illustrate additional details and features of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the structureillustrated in Figure 1 and taken substantially along the broken line11-11 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of another portion of the structure ofFigure l and taken substantially along the line III--III thereof.

Although the features of the present invention and embodiments thereofare of general utility they find most advantageous employment incombination with a combined washing and drying machine for clothes orthe like as illustrated in the drawings. In Figure 1 there is illustrated a combined Washing and drying unit 10 having a washingcompartment 11 and a drying compartment 12 disposed above the washingcompartment 11 and spaced therefrom a sufficient distance to accommodatea drive and control compartment 13. The unit 10 is generally enclosed bya housing having side walls 14-14 joined by a base plate or the like 15and a top cover or the like 16. The walls 14 and the top 16 have theirrearward edges flanged or the like as at 17 to permit easy and efiicientremoval and replacement of a back cover (not shown). Adjustable legs andfeet l8l8 on the base plate 15 support the unit it) above the floor line19 and are adjustable to level the unit.

Clothes washing and the like is conducted in the washing compartment illby a washing mechanism which is hidden from view in Figure 1 by awashing compartment partition wall and which forms no part of thepresent invention and is therefore not further described and illustratedhere. It is preferred however that the washing mechanism be one which isoperable both as a washing and extracting mechanism as is known in theart.

After the clothes are washed as in the washing compartment 11 they aredeposited in a rotatable drier drum 2]. in the drier compartment and asthey are tumbled by rotation of the drum 21 hot air is circulated acrossto dry the same.

To effect rotation of the drum 21 a motor or the like 22 is mounted inthe drive and fan compartment 13 and coupled to the drum as hereinafterfurther described in detail. The drum 21 itself is preferably asubstantially cylindrical member having substantially cylindrical sidewalls 23 and a perforated substantially circular rear wall 24 and ismounted for rotation about its axis which is disposed horizontally andextending from front to rear through the unit. A small shaft or the like25 is secured to the perforated rear wall 24 at a hub or the like 26 inthe rear wall 24, and the shaft 25 is journaled in a bearing 2"] whichis preferably a self'centering type bearing and which is further securedto a bulkhead 28 which forms a mounting and securing partition in thevicinity of the rear region in both the drier compartment 12 and drivecompartment 13. The bulkhead 26 is secured to the washing compartmentpartition 2t} as at 28 (Figure l) and together with the washercompartment partition 20; forms a support structure for numerous membersin the combined unit 19. Both of the partitions 26 and 20 are furthersecured to the side walls 14 and to the base and top 15 and 16,respectively. The bulkhead 26 is secured to the top 15 through a flangethereon as indicated at 29 (Figure 2).

The rear wall 24 of the drum 21 is perforated topermit the passage ofair into and out of the drum 21 as supplied thereto and exhaustedtherefrom through apertu'res30'and 31, respectively, in the bulkhead 26.To prevent airescaping from between the bulkhead 26 and the rear'wall25of the drum 21, the bulkhead is substantiallycircularly depressedinwardly in the region of the drum 21 as indicated at 32 thus forming aflange-like ring 33'on the bulkhead 26. An air seal 34 is preferablysecured to the flange-like ring 33 by a securing ring or the like 35 andthe seal 34 overlaps a marginal portion of the substantially cylindricalwall 23 of the drum 21 thereby overlapping and sealing the space betweenthe perforated wall 24 and the bulkhead 26.

Air is' supplied to the drier drum 21 through the aperture'30and' thebulkhead 26 and from an air heater and duct 36. The air havingcirculated through the drum and over the clothes tumbling thereinis'exhausted from the drum through the perforated wall 24 and through anexhaust aperture 31 in the bulkhead 26 and into an exhaust duct 37.

Exhausting and feeding air through the drum 21 is accomplished throughthe means of a substantially closed a'ir circulating system wherein theexhaust air passing into the exhaust duct 37 is taken therefrom by anexhaust blower or fan 38 which is driven by coupling to the motor" 22and which delivers air to a condenser assembly 39 where it is washed andcleaned and dehumidified before feeding the air back to the heater andduct work 36 for feeding reheated air into the drum 21 through theaperture 30 in the bulkhead 26.

'The' air is forced through this substantially closed recirculated airsystem for the drier by the fan 38 which has an impeller assembly 40fixed to an impeller shaft 41 for rotation therewith. A pulley or thelike 42 is also fixed for rotation with the shaft 41 and is coupled to apulley 43 affixed on the shaft 44 of the motor 22 for rotationtherewith. The coupling between the pulleys 41 and 43 is effected by abelt or the like 45 which also couples an idler pulley 46 to the motor22 to be driven thereby. The idler pulley 46 is fixed to an idler shaft47 carrying additional pulleys 48 thereon and is journaled in anyconvenient support structure therefor within the drive compartment 13.

'An' additional belt49 couples one of the pulleys 48 to the drum 21 (asshown in Figure 1). Thus, energization of the motor 22, which issuitably mounted and secured within the drive compartment 13, iseffective to drive the impeller assembly 40 of the fan 38 to exhaust airfrom the drier drum 21 and to drive the drum 21 for rotation thereof andto tumble the clothes therein so that the hot air circulating thereoverwill be effective to dry the clothes.

The fan 38 elfectively sucks air from the exhaust duct 37 which guidesthe air into the center of the impeller assembly, and as the impellers40 rotate within the substantially volute configurated housing 50therefor they force the air into the condenser 39 at the inlet end 51thereof which mates with the outlet from the fan housing 50.

The condenser 51 is formed as a V-shaped duct with its vertex 52 as itslowest point and with the legs 53 and 54 thereof extending upwardly. Theterminal end of the leg 53 forms the inlet end 51 for the condenser 39.

The material from which the condenser housing is formed may be of anydesired convenient material which is coolant insoluble and may be metalor plastic or the like as desired but is preferably formed from amaterial such as galvanized sheet iron or the like.

Immediately below the inlet end 51 of the condenser 39, a nozzle 55,best viewed in Figure 3, is secured to' one-wall of the leg 53 and isfed with liquid coolant and air cleaning liquid from any convenientsource and through an inlet pipe or tube 56 extending through that samewall of the leg 53.

A sheet of cold water or the like or other liquid coolant is expelledfrom the nozzle 55, as indicated at 57, with sufficient force tosubstantially cover the cross-sectional area of the leg 53 in the planeof the nozzle 55. It is preferred that the liquid coolant being expelledfrom the nozzle 55, be expelled as a sheet and that atomization thereofnot occur. This form of coolant admission into the condenser 39 ispreferred since atomization of the coolant may result in smallquantities of the coolant.

being carried through the condenser by the air-stream and then into theair heater-and duct work 36. If the water is sprayed into the condenserin a heavy sheet'or the like, as described, it will merely break up intorelatively large drops or the like which will be too heavy to be carriedby the air stream. As the Water sheet hits the back wall of the leg 53,the Wall opposite to the wall to which the nozzle is secured, it willrebound therefrom and pass downwardly through the leg 53. Baffie platesor the like 58 are secured to the outside wall of" the leg 53 within thecondenser 39 causing the water droplets to continue to rebound back andforth between the inside and outside walls of the leg 53 until theyreach the region of the vertex 52 of the condenser 39.

Air passing into the inlet leg 53 is substantially washed by the liquidcoolant sheet and droplets to remove the lint and dust carried therebyas picked up in passing 'over the clothes or the like in the drum 21.Further, sincethe coolant in the inlet leg 53 substantially coolsthe'air passing through the condenser, the air is cooled and asubstantial quantity of the water content is removed therefrom so thatsubstantially dry air flows into the exhaust leg 54 of the condenser 39.

The lint catching action in the condenser 39 is further enhanced andimproved by maintaining a liquid pool 59 in the vertex or drain region52 of the condenser 39.

By maintaining this pool 59 the opportunity for the air' to carry lintpast the water sheet and droplets and into the condenser exhaust leg 54is greatly reduced since the air must pass over the wet surface of thepoolas it flows from the inlet leg 53 to the outlet leg 54. The pool ismaintained by providing a drain standpipe 60' secured at the bottom 61of the condenser assembly and extending thereabove for a distancepreselected in accordance with the desired height for the pool 59. Thusliquid flowing through the leg 53 will accumulate'in' the bottom of thecondenser 39 until the levelthereof reaches the top of the standpipe 60.Thereafter, the liquid will flow out through the drain standpipe 60 andto a drain pump 62 to a drainpipe or the like 63 for disposal in anyconvenient sewer or the like.

The pump 62 may be of any desired form of pump such as a centrifugalsump pump or the like and is driven by a belt 64 coupling the same to asecond of the pulleys 48 on the idler shaft 47 so that the pump 62 isdrivenby the motor 22.

As lint collects in the pool 59 in the condenser 39 there may be aslight reduction in the efliciency of the condenser to remove lint fromthe air passing therethrough. To obviate this difiiculty and to insureefiicient operation of the condenser 39 and to further clean thesame andfree the same of lint which may be collected therein, the condenser isperiodically subjected to a flushing action. This flushing action isprovided by increasingthe flow of water or other coolant through thenozzle 55 by increasing water or other liquid coolant flow through acontrol valve or the like indicated generally at 65 and controlling thecoolant flow through the inlet pipe 56. In accordance with theprinciples of the present invention the flushing action is conductedpreferably at least once during each drying operation and the valve 65is so controllably operated as to increase the coolant flow either atthe end of each drying operation or periodically during each dryingoperation and at the end' thereof as by'being controlled by a timermechanism or a switch mechanism associated with the drier controls. Bythis method of periodic flushing the efiiciency of the condenser 39 ismaintained at a high level and the condenser is maintained substantiallyclean and free of lint as collected therein from the air passingtherethrough.

As the clean cooled dehumidified air flows from the condenser exhaustleg 54 it enters into the air heater duct work 36 where it iselficiently reheated and circulated to the drier drum 21 in accordancewith the principles of the present invention. The inlet end 66 of theheater and duct work 36 mates with the outlet end of the condenserexhaust leg 54 and guides the air into a double channel air ductincluding channels 67 and 68. The duct work 36 is formed by a sheetmetal or the like housing including side Walls 69 and 70 carrying anouter wall 71 and an intermediate partition 72 which divides theinterior of the duct Work into the two channels 67 and 68. The innerwall of the duct work 36 is formed by the bulkhead 26 to which the ductwork 36 is secured. The partition 72 is secured to the side walls 69 and70 and is so positioned therein as to limit the outer air channel 68 toa slightly smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area ofthe inner duct 67.

A heater unit 73 is disposed within the inner channel 67 of the airinlet duct 36 and heats the air passing thereover to a substantiallyhigh temperature, for example, about 180 F. The heater unit 73 may be ofany convenient type of heater unit and is preferably an electrical unitwhich is temperature controlled by any convenient thermostatic meanswell known in the art.

The heater unit 73, in addition to heating the air passing thereover,also heats the bulkhead 26 and the partition 72. Heating of the bulkhead26 involves no loss of heating energy since it in turn heats air withinthe drier compartment 12. Heat in the partition 72, however, wouldrepresent a loss if permitted to be exposed to the outside atmosphere.In accordance with the principles of the present invention, however, airfrom the condenser 39 is in part passed through the second air inletchannel 68 and is there heated by the relatively hot partition 72 sothat as it passes into the drier drum 21 through the aperture 30 in thebulkhead and through the perforated wall 24, together with the hot airfrom the duct channel 67, the air supplied to the drier drum 21 isrelatively hot and dry as heated in the heating chambers at 36 and asdehumidified and cleaned in the condenser 39.

It will be understood, of course, that numerous variations andmodifications and various embodiments of the principles of our inventionmay be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novelconcepts and the principles of our invention. We, therefore, intend tocover all such modifications and variations as fall within the truespirit and scope of the novel concepts and principles of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A substantially closed air circulating system for a hot air drier forclothes and the like comprising, a fan to exhaust substantially spentair from the drier and to force circulation of the air through thesystem, a condenser to receive the air from the drier, a nozzle in saidcondenser in the region of the air inlet thereto, means to connect saidnozzle to a source of air cleaning liquid coolant to be expelled fromsaid nozzle as a sheet thereof through which the air from said drierpasses and is substantially cleaned and dehumidified thereby, astandpipe drain in the bottom of said condenser with an opening ofsuflicient height above the bottom to form a pool of the liquidthereabout as the liquid flows through the condenser from said nozzle tothe drain and through said drain, a return air duct to return air fromthe condenser to the drier and leading from the lower end of thecondenser whereby the air will flow over said pool of liquid at theintersection of the condenser and air duct, and means to periodicallyincrease liquid flow through said condenser to flush the same and toflush lint from the pool surface to improve its condensing action.

2. A substantially closed air circulating system for a hot air drier forclothes and the like, comprising a condenser to receive the air from thedrier, a nozzle in said condenser in the region of the air inletthereto, means to connect said nozzle to a source of air cleaning liquidcoolant to be expelled from said nozzle as a sheet thereof through whichthe air from said drier passes and is substantially cleaned anddehumidified thereby, a return air duct connecting to the lower end ofthe condenser, a standpipe drain in said condenser of sufficient heightto form a pool of the liquid at the base of the: condenser at theintersection of the return air duct and condenser as the liquid flowsthrough the condenser from said nozzle to the drain and through saiddrain, whereby air will flow over the pool surface passing from thecondenser to said duct, and means to periodically increase liquid flowthrough said nozzle to flush the condenser and flush lint from the poolsurface to improve its condensing action.

3. A substantially closed air circulating system for a hot air drier forclothes and the like comprising, a fan to exhaust substantially spentair from the drier and to force circulation of the air through thesystem, a condenser to receive the air from the drier, a nozzle in saidcondenser in the region of the air inlet thereto, means to connect saidnozzle to a source of air cleaning liquid coolant to be expelled fromsaid nozzle as a sheet thereof through which the air from said drierpasses and is substantially cleaned and dehumidified thereby, an airduct leading upwardly from the bottom of the condenser and back to thedrier, a standpipe drain in said. condenser at the juncture of the airduct and condenser of suflicient height to form a pool of the liquidthereabout as the liquid flows through the condenser from said nozzlethrough said standpipe drain whereby air will flow over said pool toefiect a separation of lint as it changes direction to flow upwardly,and valve means to periodically increase liquid flow through said nozzleto flush the condenser and flush lint from the pool surface into thedrain to improve its lint collecting action.

4. A condenser to substantially clean and dehumidify air for a hot airclothes drier or the like, comprising, a vertical air inlet channel andan air outlet channel, said channels being joined together inregistration and having an inlet and an outlet end respectively, anozzle in said air inlet channel adjacent to the air inlet end thereofto expel substantially a horizontal sheet of air cleaning liquid coolantthereacross, a plurality of vertically spaced baffie plates in saidinlet channel with the ends projecting diiferent distances across thevertical inlet channel to rebound the liquid thereacross, means to forma liquid pool in said condenser at the junction of said channels wherebyair flowing from said inlet to said outlet channel will cause aseparation of lint, means to drain liquid from the surface of said pooland to maintain the pool at a predetermined depth, and further means toincrease liquid flow in said inlet channel to flush and clean saidcondenser and to flush lint from the pool surface to improve its lintseparating action.

5. A condenser to substantially clean and dehumidify tion, a nozzle insaid condenser positioned to spray an air cleaning liquid coolant intothe condenser to flow to the bottom of the condenser, an air outlet ductleading upwardly and connected to said air outlet opening with a pool ofliquid being collected at the junction of the duct and condenser chamberwhereby air flowing downwardly through the condenser and turning to flowupwardly through the air duct will deposit lint at the surface of saidpool of liquid, a drain opening for draining liquid coolant locatedspaced above the bottom of the condenser for draining liquid from thesurface of the pool formed at the bottom of the condenser, and means forperiodically increasing the flow of liquid coolant into said con- 7denser whereby lint'willbe flushed'from the pool'snrface into the drainopening to improve the 'lint' collection action of the pool' surface.

References Cited inthe file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS VanOsdel Jan. 7, 1890 ONeil June 7, 1921 Fisher Aug. 1, 1944 10

